Dreams of the Ancient Mountain: The Cat's Masquerade | Chapter 124 | A Fluttering Capture | Novela.app

The carriage sped through the night as the snow fell in a silent, steady descent. Awane and Muyu were both there to welcome us home, holding umbrellas to shield us as they escorted us back to our room. They set out hot water for us to wash our hands and bathe, brought in freshly brewed tea, and then quietly closed the doors as they withdrew. Wei Qingming had just settled me into a soft chair. I allowed her to attend to me, washing my hands and sipping the tea, before leaning back against the chair to rest with my eyes closed. Suddenly, the silk ties of my crane-down cloak snapped taut and broke, and my body tumbled into her embrace. Though her initial movements possessed an unprecedented urgency, her kisses gradually shifted from their initial torrential force back to her usual tenderness—methodical and characterized by her typical air of composed control. I was the one who grew dissatisfied instead. Even as I cast aside my torn upper garment, laughingly scolding her for ruining half a month’s worth of our household income, I was sobbing as I hooked my arms around her to pull her closer, only to bury my face in the crook of her neck out of sudden bashfulness. She let out a soft, playful huff of laughter, her expression unreadable yet full of meaning. My upper body was now clad in nothing but a snow-white chemise, while my vibrant red skirt spilled out between us like a vast field of poppy petals. Yet, this woman remained perfectly composed, her own robes still neat and her dignity intact. Before long, that white chemise began to slide down one shoulder, drifting silently like sun-warmed snow melting down a mountainside. The fabric, normally as light as a feather, seemed to take on a life of its own—now light, now heavy, wandering fitfully across my skin with a friction I found unbearable. It left me parched beyond reason... She was surely punishing me for my rowdiness in the carriage. She pressed the thick, plush crane-down cloak against the edge of the table to cushion my lower back. Finally, the red skirt cascaded down past our knees like spilled mercury. Soon, the only garment left on my body was soaked through with sweat. Although the charcoal brazier kept the room as warm as spring, she still feared I might catch a chill. She wrapped me in the heavy cloak and carried me horizontally to the bed. Despite the seemingly refined nature of our encounter just now, my hair had not even come undone; only a few stray locks had shaken loose. Of the three pairs of dragonfly-wing flutter-moths pinned in my hair, only the lowest wing had partially slipped. She tilted her head and parted her lips, gently catching it between her teeth and slowly drawing it out. Because my back was to her, I could see nothing. My senses of hearing and touch became exceptionally keen. The removal of each hair ornament felt like a form of exquisite torture. By the time she reached for the last one with her teeth, I was already weeping from the overwhelming sensation. Lost in a daze, I struggled to turn my head to kiss her, but my burning lips met only the cold, golden filigree of the flutter-moth. I saw Wei Qingming smiling leisurely, her lips like two peach blossom petals trapping a trembling, captured dragonfly wing. Her mouth slanted slightly, revealing her white, crystalline teeth. The image was decadently erotic. Spurred by a frantic irritation, I tried to snatch the flutter-moth from her with my own lips. In the end, the cool, thin trinket was warmed by our breath and bitten until it snapped, falling forgotten to the floor. The pale purple Wanzhen flower, hanging from the fine gold chain nestled in the hollow of her collarbone, swayed up and down, repeatedly brushing against my ear. I don't know how many rounds passed. I bit my hand and wept softly, gazing at her face through tear-blurred eyes. Setting aside the initial clumsiness of our wedding night, the "Excellency Wei" who excelled at everything she touched had become increasingly skilled at this. Even though we had only been apart for ten days, she seemed to have suddenly acquired a thousand new techniques, innovating with effortless ease. I couldn't help but wonder if she had followed her usual habit of diligent study and learned these methods from some book... The thought of the transcendent Wei Qingming sitting upright, her jade-clean fingers turning the pages of *that* kind of book, was more than I could bear. I bit the back of my hand and cried out... A tender murmur reached my ear. Before I could break my own skin, she pulled my hand away and replaced it with her own fingers to prevent me from hurting myself. When I finally went limp, she laughed low and said, "So soon..." Her tone was a mix of satisfaction and lingering desire. She withdrew her hand to kiss my lips, and once my breathing steadied, she turned me over by my shoulder once more... I truly had no strength left and nearly fainted away entirely. Only then did she stop, pulling me into her arms and stroking me with tender affection. By the time I found the strength to open my eyes, I saw her rising from the bed. She casually picked up a nightgown and threw it on, loosely tying the sash. The vivid, slanted marks on her back flashed briefly before being hidden. Ashamed, my instinct was to close my eyes, yet I fought against the languid exhaustion, widening my eyes to greedily take in every inch of her skin. Her physique had been modified by the Soft Bone Body-Forging Pill. In truth, aside from her shoulders being slightly broader and her waist not being as slender as an ordinary woman's—plus certain areas naturally lacking curves—there was no difference. Her naturally delicate, exquisite bone structure was wrapped in muscles like soft jade, covered by a texture as smooth and white as pear blossoms in snow. It was a perfect balance of strength and grace, a supreme masterpiece of nature’s craftsmanship. She fetched hot water to wipe down my body, then changed it for a fresh basin. Using a damp cloth, she gently washed the remnants of powder from my face. Though, in truth, there wasn't much left to wash off; most of it had been "eaten" by her... Her movements were the height of gentleness and detail. She even rested both of my feet on her knees to wipe and massage them, attending even to the spaces between my toes. Having recovered a bit of strength and spirit, I took the opportunity to playfully step on her. "Where did you learn these... these wicked things?" I teased. Hearing this, she looked up, her eyes narrowing into a smile. "Are they wicked?" I coughed and leaned forward to hook a lock of her loose hair. "Just tell me," I giggled. "Aside from the first few times when I... I want to give back more to you as well. Even if you have to teach me, alright?" She remained silent, still smiling. I huffed and tried to provoke her on purpose. "Fine, if you won't say, I'll just go learn from someone... somewhere else!" Excellency Wei went silent for a breath. Suddenly, she gripped my ankle and, with a clever use of force, tossed me back into the bed—though she made sure I wasn't hurt. Seeing that my provocation had worked, I lay on my back and laughed loudly. She frowned and pressed down over me, turning my face toward her. She breathed heavily against my ear as if about to lose her temper, but she restrained herself. Finally, she spoke in a raspy voice tinged with amusement. "It seems I haven't taught you well enough, if Azhi feels the need to learn from someone else..." While laughing, I quickly begged for mercy. "A slip of the tongue! A slip of the tongue! I meant 'somewhere else,' from 'other books'!" Unfortunately, the effort she had just spent wiping my body clean went to waste. *** When I woke the next day, the snow was still falling, and I couldn't tell what time it was. Both of us had been so disoriented last night that Excellency Wei hadn't risen after an hour or two to work as she usually did; she had slept straight through until dawn. Upon opening my eyes, I found myself still held firmly in her arms. A dizzying sweetness flooded my heart. I stared at her longingly for a good while, fiddling with her eyelashes, unable to resist kissing and nipping at her face. Excellency Wei remained fast asleep, unresponsive. Growing bolder, I reached under the covers, only to be accurately caught by her hand. Her eyes shimmered with a hazy light, and a tender smile curved her lips. She lowered her gaze and kissed me softly, releasing my hand to let me do as I pleased. We dallied like this until noon, when Awane came to knock on the door. Wei Qingming gave the order to have the meal sent to the room, which made my face turn beet-red with embarrassment. Awane and Muyu quickly set out the food. Wei Qingming carried me out of bed, helped me dress, and pulled me onto her lap. The two of us sat there intimately, sharing a bowl of congee. "Not busy today?" "Mhm." She added a piece of fish to my plate, having carefully removed the bones. "Unless there is an emergency, I will not be going out." We chatted idly about our impressions of yesterday, sighing over how much things had changed. Although I had mostly talked with the noblewomen, I had overheard bits of the young masters' conversations; as expected, they were mostly discussing the upcoming war. Wei Qingming’s previous remarks about this Northern Expedition had already touched upon its essence. To put it simply, it was merely another medal to be added to the Emperor's achievements. The border with the Shiying Kingdom had been stable for over a thousand years. The Twelve Star Platforms of the Great Protection Array were as solid as a fortress, and the successive patriarchs of the Wujing Sect had been diligent in their maintenance. Until the current Emperor ascended the throne, border incursions were almost non-existent. Sixty years ago, the two countries had exchanged envoys, primarily due to Shiying’s request for trade. The late Emperor had opened several border cities in Qingzhou and Hanzhou, establishing trade markets. For a few brief years, mutual trade was allowed during certain seasons, though the movement of people was strictly controlled. Even so, it quickly gave rise to a number of bandit gangs. The border residents of both countries were harassed to the point of exhaustion, and the mutual trade, which lasted less than ten years, was closed again. The friction ceased along with it. All in all, I truly couldn't see any absolute necessity for this war. But perhaps achieving merit and establishing a legacy is the nature of those in the imperial court—especially for the generals who lamented their idle lives and felt their heroic talents were being wasted. Corrupt officials, meanwhile, loved nothing more than stirring up still waters to fish for profit. Men like Xiao Xuelin, local generals who had long been stuck in the southern borderlands catching petty bandits and smugglers, had always been squeezed between the civil governors, the entrenched wealthy merchants who played both sides of the law, and the foreign trade groups whose paperwork was an endless headache. They had long been suppressing a fire in their hearts, wanting to fight a truly satisfying war. Catching bandits was no great merit; carving one's name into the cliffs of Yanran and performing the sacrificial rites at Mount Wolf-Surrender—those were the deeds of heroes. The common people were infected by this "prosperous era" fervor. Even dandy sons like Wen Siyuan, who usually only knew how to linger among flowers, were claiming they wanted to go to the battlefield to see what Shiying beauties looked like. For them, war was a once-in-a-thousand-years novelty and thrill. Prices in the capital had already begun to fluctuate; the north-south trade routes were congested, and the pressure on public security had doubled as a result. This was certainly one of the reasons Wei Qingming had been so busy lately. I felt that Excellency Wei had even grown thin from exhaustion. I forced her to eat a good amount of meat and fed her an entire bowl of congee. Diet was one of the few areas where Excellency Wei was truly "graceful" and yielding; having been stuffed with nearly half a year's worth of food in one go, she remained obediently compliant. As I warmed some wine for her, I sighed. "Fifth Brother’s words were quite desolate, though. He was pretending to be carefree, but he was really drinking his fill of bitterness." Wei Qingming smiled, her expression unruffled. "The fact that the northern generals were allowed to return to the capital this year is considered a grace from His Majesty. I fear it will be difficult for them to return again for several years." The cold cruelty behind those words was as biting as the current weather. I shook my head. "The Emperor's intent may have existed for a long time, but why choose to act now?" "Has Boss Su noticed what the most profitable goods in the border regions of Yan, Qing, and Han provinces have been these past few years?" "It is strange, now that you mention it—it's grain," I mused. "But while the harvests in the three northern provinces haven't been great, there shouldn't be such a large deficit." "It is for the refugees," Wei Qingming said. "North of the Three Mountains defense line, there has been a severe drought for two consecutive years. Starving people are knocking at the gates, and bandits are rising like swarms. Now, in several border cities where one can sneak across, a human life is cheaper than a bushel of rice." "Sneaking across!" I was shocked. "But the Great Protection Array..." "Since Patriarch Ni designed the Twelve Star Platforms, it took a hundred years to complete, and it has now been in use for nearly a millennium. The northern defense line stretches for twenty thousand miles, and the mountain and river landscapes have shifted significantly. Although successive patriarchs have made repairs, there are still many sections that have fallen into disrepair over the years. In some remote areas, cultivators at or above the Smoke-Born Realm can withstand the array's attacks and cross through the loopholes." Wei Qingming laid her chopsticks across the table to show the relative positions of Mount Heluo and Mount Tutai, then placed a small wine cup between them to represent Mount Tian. She pointed out several sections, all of which were key border cities that had once been open for trade. She continued, "When the late Emperor Zhenzong selected these cities, it was because the Great Protection Array was already unreliable in these locations. There were already troops stationed there, and the newly built city gates had their own defensive formations to guard against a Shiying invasion." I gasped. The idea that the Great Protection Array was indestructible was deeply ingrained in the minds of the people, yet even it... I immediately realized the gravity of this fact. I straightened up nervously and grabbed her hand. "If the Shiying cultivators concentrate their attacks on these loopholes, it would be a catastrophe!" "Yes," Wei Qingming said. "Therefore, there are garrisoned troops inside the passes, and the Sect has sent disciples to inspect and repair them. However, it is not a task that can be finished in a short time. Within the next three years, it is not a good time to start a war. Fortunately, over the past few months, Sect Leader Lu has persistently submitted three memorials, remonstrating with the truth. His Majesty has finally relented, stating that no troops will be moved until the defense line is repaired." I couldn't help but feel immense gratitude toward Sect Leader Lu. Wei Qingming was supposed to have left me to attend to her duties right after sending me back to Mount Gomeng. If not for Sect Leader Lu’s petition, we wouldn't have even had this month or two of peaceful intimacy. "That's good, that's good." I patted my chest and pouted as I leaned into her embrace, looking at her with deep attachment. She smiled and held me tight, asking softly, "Is Azhi reluctant to let me go to the battlefield?" "It's not that. It's just... being able to have even a moment more together is enough to make me happy." She looked up at me, her eyelashes trembling slightly, and even the kiss she pressed to my forehead seemed to quiver. I knew my words had stirred her guilt again. Heartaching for her, I hurried to kiss her cheek, saying repeatedly, "No, no, I don't feel wronged at all. Don't think of me as... as some resentful wife waiting for her husband at home. I have plenty of things to do. It's just that I miss you a little... a lot... a whole lot." "I miss Azhi very much as well," she smiled. "Your skills are already plain for all to see. I imagine you will have countless invitations and become the talk of the capital in the days to come." With that, she stroked my face and said softly, "For every day we are together, let us live it well." "Alright, of course..." *** | Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 闹蛾儿 | Flutter-moth | A traditional hair ornament, often made of wire and silk to flutter like an insect. | | 蜻蜓翅 | Dragonfly wings | Part of the design of the hair ornaments mentioned. | | 浣真花 | Wanzhen flower | A fictional flower name; likely "Flower of Washing Truth." | | 矢鹰国 | Shiying Kingdom | Literally "Arrow Eagle Kingdom," the northern rival nation. | | 十二星台 | Twelve Star Platforms | The structural components of the Great Protection Array. | | 护国大阵 | Great Protection Array | The massive magical barrier protecting the country. | | 无竟宗 | Wujing Sect | The sect Wei Qingming belongs to; "Sect of No End/Boundlessness." | | 榷场 | Trade market | Official border markets established for international trade. | | 勒石燕然 | Carving stone at Yanran | A historical idiom referring to achieving great military merit at the border. | | 封狼居胥 | Sacrificial rites at Mount Wolf-Surrender | A historical idiom for the highest military achievement. | | 柔骨锻体丹 | Soft Bone Body-Forging Pill | A medicinal pill used to modify or strengthen the physique. | | 生烟境 | Smoke-Born Realm | A level of cultivation mentioned in the story. | | 贺罗山 | Mount Heluo | A geographical location on the border. | | 图泰山 | Mount Tutai | A geographical location on the border. | | 天山 | Mount Tian | Literally "Heavenly Mountain," a central point in the defense line. | | 吕掌门 | Sect Leader Lu | The leader of the Wujing Sect. |